The 73rd Annual Hunger Games
by sillymoose13
Summary: What happened the year before Katniss was reaped for the games? Find out what transpired during the 73rd Annual Hunger Games. Learn who came home victorious and who came home in a coffin. There will be some violence, because it's the Hunger Games, but I'll try to keep it at a minimum
1. District 1 Reaping

**AN: Suzanne Collins owns the Hunger Games and a few characters that are briefly mentioned in this story. All tributes are my original characters. I also have created the arena and the events of the games. Thank you for reading my story, and I hope you enjoy it! Also, I would really appreciate anybody who takes the time to leave a review!**

Ciara's POV

I wake up, stretch my legs, and get out of bed. Today is the day of the reaping. I'm not nervous today. I don't want to be called, but I know that if I do get called, somebody should volunteer for me.

Actually, someone will volunteer for me. Every year, the 18 year olds compete in various challenges, trying to determine the male and female best fit to enter the games. The two that are most ready get the honor of fighting for our district. This year, the girl is Emma Peterson. I know who she is, but I've never talked to her. She seems pretty ruthless, a perfect characteristic for a tribute.

But I can't say that I envy her. I don't want to kill other children or die at such a young age.

Since my parents are on the poorer side, they chose not to sign me up for training. Although I'm different from the other kids at school, I'm glad. I don't want to spend hours a day finding the best ways to kill and torture people.

And even though we're poor, we still get through. We're one of the poorest families in district one, but I think we have more than almost all of the families in district twelve.

I walk downstairs and grab a bowl of cereal. It's still early and my parents are still sleeping, so I try to be as quiet as possible.

I then notice my little sister, Eloise, coming down the stairs. Although she knows that she will be safe, she still looks a little nervous. But I can't blame her. She's twelve and this is her first reaping day.

"Hi Eloise," I say encouragingly. "You don't need to worry about the reaping. Somebody volunteers every year."

"I know, but I can't not feel nervous today. You know how it is."

"You're right, but let's try to forget about it now. Do you want some cereal?"

She nods, so I pour her a bowl. I watch her as she eats her cereal because neither of us have anything to talk about.

Finally my parents wake up. After they finish breakfast, we walk to the square as a family. They reassure us that everything will be fine and that we won't need to worry.

When we finally reach the town square, we check in by getting our arm pricked. Eloise winces as the needle goes into her arm, but she is strong and doesn't cry. I drop her off in the twelve year old section, telling her that everything will be fine. I then go over to the section for girls my age.

I can't find any of my friends there. I don't have very many because I only hang out with the girls that don't train. The ones that do think they are superior and won't hang out with us wimpy kids. I don't really care because I wouldn't want to be friends with them anyway.

Billiam, our escort, walks onto the stage. "Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor."

I can't help but feel a little bit nervous. I do have my fate in his hands after all.

"As always ladies first," Billiam says as he puts his hand into the bowl of girls. "Our female tribute from district one is… Ciara Miller!"

Oh no! He called my name. But then I realize that it will be okay. I know that Emma will volunteer.

She never does.

As I wonder what happened to Emma, I am whisked onto the stage. I ask myself how this happened. I try to be strong, but I can see the tears in my eyes, blurring my vision.

* * *

Buck's POV

When I wake up, I am energized to start the day. Today is the day when I will become famous. Today is the day when everybody in Panem will learn my name. Today is the day of the reaping.

Today I will be volunteering. I have trained all my life for this day and I can't wait. Most of the people in the other districts are afraid to be selected, but that's only because they are weak. They know that they won't be able to survive.

I go down to the kitchen and see my parents there. They seem to be just as excited as I am. In just a few weeks time, I will have brought the glory that my parents have been craving.

A few years ago, my sister volunteered for the games. Of course we wanted her to win, but I wasn't surprised when she died. She was good at attacking but couldn't defend herself. When that little girl threw the axe at her, I knew she had no chance.

I wasn't too sad that she died. I know that I should have felt bad, but I wanted to be the one to bring honor to our family. I wanted to be the one in the spotlight,

Anyway, my mom decides to make pancakes for breakfast. We're on the wealthy side, so we can eat pretty much anything we want. Hunger's never been an issue for me, except for the times that they starved us in training.

Needing to survive for three days, we were given no food and a small bottle of water. We also weren't given any weapons. Some people were able to survive by trapping wild animals. Others just starved, painfully waiting until the end. I was hungry, so I reverted to cannibalism. With my bare hands, I strangled a kid and ate him. I didn't feel bad because I was hungry and there wasn't anything else to eat.

My parents wish me luck as we walk down to the town square. I say bye to my parents as I walk over to my friend, Jaymes.

"What's up," I say coolly.

"Not much," he answers.

He knows that I'm volunteering today. Actually, everybody does. We had to fight for it at school, and I won, of course. Nobody else stood a chance against me. I'm well over 6 feet tall and I've got tons of muscle. I guess you could say that I'm well built.

"Try to have fun without me, but I'm not sure if that's possible."

He laughs. "I know that you're gonna win, but just remember that we'll all be very disappointed in you if you die."

"I know," I reply. "But thanks for the extra encouragement. I'll be sure to remember that as I'm killing tributes left and right."

"See you in a few weeks."

"Yeah. See you then."

I walk over to the 18 year old section. Jaymes is still 17, so he has another year before he can volunteer. He's pretty strong, but I heard that I guy named Marvel is some pretty stiff competition. Maybe we could have two victors from district one in a row

Our escort, whose name I don't bother to learn, struts over to the bowl of tributes. We all know that it won't be necessary. There are always volunteers in district one.

"Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor. As always, ladies first!"

As he fishes for a name, I try to remember who will be volunteering for the girls this year. Boys and girls train separately, but we have some time to hang out afterwards. However, I cannot remember her name. I'll find out in two seconds anyway.

"Our female tribute from district one is… Ciara Miller!"

I see a weak looking girl come out of the 16 year old section, as I wait for somebody to volunteer. But nobody does.

I can't worry about that, however, because the escort is now choosing a male tribute. I need to be ready to volunteer

"Our male tribute is… Mit—

"I volunteer," I shout as I stroll towards the stage. I can't make it seem like I'm desperate to participate in the games. I need to act cool and confident.

"What's your name?" the escort asks me.

"Buck Quinlan, the next victor of the Hunger Games"

"Our two tributes from district one, Ciara Miller and Buck Quinlan!"


	2. District 2 Reaping

Jasmine's POV

I wake up energized and ready to go. I've waited my entire life for this day and I can't wait.

Today I'm going to volunteer for the games. In district two, participating in the Hunger Games is a great honor. Only the strongest male and female are able to volunteer. Today that's me.

Unfortunately, I despise the male tribute from my district. My best friend, Devin, was supposed to be the male volunteer. We would have dominated the games together.

Instead, I will be participating in the games with Casper. Casper is seventeen. Only eighteen year olds are allowed to volunteer, but they made an exception this year. Apparently he's stronger than all of the eighteen year olds, so he gets an automatic pass. Why can't he wait until next year? This year was supposed to be for me and Devin.

Obviously I'm a little disappointed. Devin won't be able to volunteer and he'll be viewed as weak. I guess weaker would be a better term. He still was stronger than all of the other males his age.

I walk downstairs and find my brother there. He is the definition of weak. He's twenty one now, three years older than me. But when he was eighteen, he didn't even try to volunteer. My parents are viewed as the parents of a coward.

But I'm going to change all of that. I'm going to win the Hunger Games and nobody can stop me.

I tell my parents that I'm going over to Devin's house before the reaping. I know that he's disappointed and I want to be there for him. My parents are reluctant at first, but I reassure them. They know I'll be back home in a few weeks anyway.

I walk over to Devin's house and I knock on the door. He answers it.

"Hi," I say.

"Hey. Come on in." He is trying to put on a smile, but I know that he slightly envies me. Although he is my best friend, I know I would be jealous if our positions were reversed.

"I know it sucks that you can't volunteer today, but at least we won't need to kill each other."

"You're right. But hadn't we found a way around that?"

We had, but I wasn't sure if I was going to follow through with it. The Capitol only wants one victor, not two. "I'm not sure if it would have worked. What if there wasn't anything poisonous in the arena?"

"It doesn't matter now," he responds. "You can count on me cheering for you the entire time."

"Thanks. It'll give me that extra motivation when I feel like I have no chance." Of course I'm going to dominate and I don't need his help. But I'm trying to make him feel better, so I go along with it.

We walk over to the square together, talking about the Capitol and how much fun I'm going to have. I promise that I'll find a way to take him there someday, not knowing if I'll be able to actually follow through with it.

"See you in a few weeks," he says.

"Yep," I respond. We walk into our respective sections, right in the front, as our escort walks onto the stage.

"Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor," our escort says. I think her name is Lavender, but I can't remember. In previous years I never paid attention, not caring who would be selected as tributes.

"Ladies first! Our female tribute from district two—"

"I volunteer," I say before she can even choose a name. I walk quickly to the stage, eager to stare down my fellow tribute. He should be scared of me because I will kill him the first chance I get.

"And what is your name?"

"Jasmine."

"What a lovely name." Her response seems very energetic, but I can't help but feel like it's sarcastic.

* * *

Casper's POV

I wake up to see my girlfriend, Susie, staring at me. She must have been up for a while now because she looks energized and ready.

"Good morning," she says softly.

"Good morning to you too," I respond. I'm normally not this nice, but she brings out a different side of me, a side that I cannot reveal in the next few weeks.

"Ready for the reaping?"

"You bet. I've been waiting my entire life."

"Not as long as most volunteers."

She does have a point. The volunteers from the career districts are always eighteen years old. I'm only seventeen. But it shows how strong I am for my age. I was able to defeat even the strongest of eighteen year olds.

Some people claim that I need to wait a year, train even more and become stronger. But why should I wait? I'm the best chance that district two has this year. They'd be stupid not to allow me to volunteer.

"Let's go downstairs," I say. "But first I need to get dressed."

She leaves the room as I put on some clothes. I open the door and find her right outside of it, waiting for me.

"Ready? Come on."

We walk downstairs and I see my family down there, eating breakfast. My mom gives Susie a weird look.

I don't think she approves of my girlfriend. She thinks being in love weakens me. I can have Susie all I want when I get back, but I should have spent more time training instead of hanging out with her.

It's too late now, anyway. Today is reaping day.

We eat breakfast, and then I take a walk with Susie. We walk to the square, where we say our goodbyes.

"I'll miss you," she says. I can see that she's starting to cry, so I try to comfort her.

"You know that I'm coming back. I'll see you again in just a few weeks."

"I know. But I'm going to be worried about you. I'm going to be nervous when I see you hanging out with kids who are just waiting for the most opportune time to kill you."

"It'll be okay. Nobody will be able to defeat me."

I know my odds of winning are extremely high, but I guess nothing's certain. There's always some small chance that I won't make it back. I don't tell her this, of course, because it will just make her sadder.

We say our goodbyes and wait in our separate sections. After a few minutes, our escort walks on the stage. With that crazy outfit, she looks like a bird. I don't know how anybody could wear such weird clothing.

"Happy Hunger Games," she says. "And may the odds be ever in your favor."

I'm excited for the reaping. I'll be the youngest tribute from district two since a long time ago. They almost never make exceptions to the eighteen year old rule.

"Ladies first!" the escort announces. But before she can even read out the name, there is a volunteer. It's a girl named Jasmine. She looks tough, but I can defeat her.

"District two's male tribute will be… Dev—"

"I volunteer as tribute!" I shout as I walk up to the stage. I tell the escort my name, and he asks us to shake hands.

I thought I'd be able to keep my composure, but I'm shocked by the stare I get from Jasmine. If looks could kill, I'd be dead.


	3. District 3 Reaping

AN: Thanks to everybody for reading my story. And thanks for the one review that I have received so far. I'd be really happy if somebody else took the time to leave a review. What am I doing well? What can I change for the future? Which tributes do you like so far?

* * *

Gemma's POV:

I wake up and I see my brother, Beaux, lying in bed next to me. He's sleeping and I find it calming to watch him sleep. After all, I'm pretty worried about today. Today is reaping day.

Since we're not very wealthy, I've taken some tesserae. But I didn't let Beaux take any. He's twelve years old, so he only has one entry. I can't be too worried about him.

However, I'm pretty worried about myself. To help feed my family, I have 16 entries in the reaping this year. Hopefully none of mine get chosen.

I also need to worry about my best friend, Braxton, and his sister. They're our neighbors and I've been friends with him since I can remember. I think we'll head over to their house before the reaping.

I walk to the kitchen to find that my parents are there. I guess they didn't get much sleep either. Like me, I think they were up almost all night too.

We normally don't eat breakfast everyday, but today is special. My parents even agree to put some sugar in it, making it a little nicer than the bland cereal that we normally eat.

There's silence for a while, but my mom finally speak up.

"Honey, if you do happen to get reaped today, know that we love you and will be cheering for you the entire way. Again, thank you for taking the tesserae for Beaux. We really appreciate that you have sacrificed yourself for him."

"Thanks mom," I manage to get out. "But I'd really prefer not to think about it."

"Of course you don't," my dad reassures me. "Just remember that we love and support you."

Before anybody else can say something, I notice Beaux walk into the room. The conversation stops abruptly.

"Good morning," he says.

He looks very nervous, but I understand. This is his first reaping. I think I cried the morning of the year I was first eligible.

"It'll be okay Beaux. Your name has only been entered once. They're not going to pick you."

He smiles and I'm happy that I was able to make him feel a little better.

He eats breakfast and the four of us decide to walk next door to Braxton's house. We knock and he opens the door for us.

"Hi! Come on in," he says. He looks as calm as anybody could be on a reaping day.

We all walk in and his parents tell us to sit down. They offer us some food, but we decline, knowing that they are just as poor we are. If we ate their food, it would be one day where they wouldn't eat.

I go over and sit next to Rosa, Braxton's sister. She's twelve, the same age as Beaux, and I love her as a sister. She is adorable and just so precious. Like me, Braxton has taken all of the tesserae, so Rosa only has one entry.

"How are you doing?" I ask her.

"As good as I can be," she responds. "I only have one entry, so I'll be fine. It's Braxton that I really need to worry about."

Her strength is remarkable. She's obviously nervous, but she doesn't show it.

"Well, may the odds be ever in your favor," I say. We both laugh nervously.

I see Braxton talking to Beaux in the kitchen. Although I can't understand what they are saying, I notice them both chuckle. We all need to keep the morale up.

Finally we decide to walk to the town square. Braxton and I walk up in front, with our siblings just behind. Our parents are all the way in the back.

We talk for a little bit, mostly telling each other that everything will be okay. I grab Beaux's hand as I walk him to the back of the square, to the section for twelve year olds. Braxton does the same for Rosa, and we meet up again as we walk closer to the front.

"See you in a little bit," I tell him.

"We'll all be fine in a few moments. And then we won't need to worry again until next year."

We split up as I walk into the fifteen year old girls section. A few minutes later, Cali, our escort, walks onto the stage.

"Happy Hunger Games," he says. Yes, some parent named their son Cali. These capitol citizens never cease to amaze me. "And may the odds be ever in your favor. As always, ladies first."

Please don't choose me. Please don't choose me. I know that I have no chance if I am chosen. I won't last a day.

"Our female tribute from district three will be… Rosa Smith!"

Yes, it's not me. But then the realization hits me. Rosa is entering the games. Poor, sweet, innocent, little Rosa.

"I volunteer," I say before she gets up to the stage. "I volunteer as tribute."

"We actually have a volunteer," Cali says. "Maybe district three will win for change."

His obnoxiousness is appalling, but I try to ignore him. As I look up, I see Braxton crying, completely devastated at this turn of events.

* * *

Braxton's POV:

I couldn't sleep at all last night. I'm very worried about the reaping today. I wouldn't be so nervous if it was just me in danger of being selected. My sister, Rosa, is now eligible to be reaped.

I love her so much, I don't know what I would do if she was somehow chosen. I didn't allow her to take tesserae, so she only has one entry. But that one entry could still be chosen. Because I'm a guy, I can't volunteer for her if she is reaped.

She seems to be sleeping peacefully, so I let her stay there. Hopefully she sleeps for a few more hours, so we can go straight to the square after she wakes up. That way she won't have time to get nervous.

I walk into the kitchen and pour myself a bowl of cereal. I try not to take too much, to leave some for Rosa and my parents.

We aren't rich, so we can't afford to eat three meals every day. But we usually eat on the extravagant side on reaping days, just to release the nerves.

My parents walk into the kitchen, smiling softly.

"You don't need to worry about today," my dad says. "You only have 16 entries out the thousands that are in the bowl."

"I know. I'm just worried about Rosa. If by some wild chance she happens to get picked, I won't be able to volunteer for her. I can't let her go into the games."

"But that's not going to happen. She only has one entry."

"You did all you could by not letting her take tesserae," my mom adds. "All we can do now is just wait."

As Rosa comes into the kitchen, I hear a knock on the door. I go and see Gemma, my best friend, there. I've been so worried about Rosa that I haven't even bothered to worry about her.

"Hi! Come on in," I say.

She comes in, along with the rest of her family. I go into the kitchen and talk to Beaux, Gemma's brother. He seems pretty nervous about today, so I try to comfort him. Like Rosa, it's his first reaping day. Although I can't make him laugh, I get him to smile.

We all walk to the square together, but Gemma and I are slightly ahead of our families.

"I'm really worried about Rosa," I say. "She wouldn't last two minutes into the games."

"Yeah, but she only has one entry," Gemma replies. "But if she does get reaped, I'd volunteer for her.

"Really? You'd do that?" I can't express my gratefulness.

"Of course," she says. "I just hope we don't need to resort to that."

We take our siblings to their respective sections and then we separate. I walk into the section for fifteen year old males.

I can feel the butterflies in my stomach as Cali walks onto the stage.

"Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor," he says. "As always, ladies first."

I'm hoping that it's not Rosa. Anybody but Rosa, and Gemma too. I'm not as worried about Gemma, though, because she's smart and has a chance at survival.

"Our female tribute from district three is… Rosa Smith!"

I'm devastated. How is this possible? She only had one entry out of thousands.

"I volunteer," I hear from somewhere in the crowd. I'd know that voice from anywhere. It's Gemma's. I can't believe she has sacrificed her life for my sister. I'll never be able to repay her kindness.

Cali continues with the reaping. "District three's male tribute will be… Beaux Jones!"

Beaux? That's Gemma's sister. Now I know how I can repay Gemma, by volunteering for her brother.

"I volunteer as tribute," I shout as I run up to the stage. I can see Gemma crying, still shocked by what just happened. I give her a hug as Cali wraps up the reaping ceremony.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Our star-crossed lovers from district three: Gemma Jones and Braxton Smith!"


	4. District 4 Reaping

**AN: I would really appreciate some feedback on my story so far! As always, thanks for reading**

* * *

Coralie's POV:

I wake up and realize that the bedroom is empty. I guess that I'm the last one to wake up today. It makes sense because we're usually all up early on the morning of the reaping.

I try not to worry about today. I'm 15, so I don't have many entries in the reaping bowl. And my older siblings wouldn't allow me to take tesserae, so I only have four chances of being chosen.

I walk downstairs and the kitchen is crowded. My parents are there, as well as my four older siblings. Three of them are safe today, as my two sisters and oldest brother are all over eighteen. My youngest brother, Louie, is eligible to be reaped, as he's eighteen today.

"How'd you sleep?" my oldest sister, Serena, asks?

"Obviously pretty well," my youngest brother, Louie, replies. "She slept way longer than all of us."

"Thanks for letting me respond," I say.

"You're welcome." I see him give me a wink.

I love my siblings. I'm not being sarcastic, I actually do. They are just so fun to be around; I would have been devastated if one of them had been reaped.

"Let's hope neither of us gets picked today."

"Yeah," my other brother, Austin, says as he jumps into the conversation. "It would really suck to lose a sibling after the three of us have survived all of our reapings."

"Don't say that!" my sister Lucy says. "You know that both Louie and Coralie have a good chance of surviving, should they get reaped."

I know she's just saying that to make us feel better, but she does have a point. Although we weren't signed up for the intensive training program, we have practiced with weapons a little bit. I'm pretty good with a bow, and I'm not bad with knives either.

"You don't need to get so angry," Austin says as he tries to fight back his laughter. "I was just joking."

"But today's just not the time for messing around," Serena says. "The Hunger Games are no laughing matter."

These minor arguments are pretty common, as my siblings all have big personalities, but they never become major. We just get along too well do actually harm each other either physically or mentally.

While the four of them continue their conversation, I eat some cereal. I think about the reaping that will take place in a few hours, hoping that Louie and I won't be selected.

Even if we are, there's still the chance that somebody will volunteer for us. District four averages out to one volunteer a year. Some years we get two, but there are also no volunteers some years. It just depends.

After I finish breakfast, we all walk over to the square. Even though my siblings aren't eligible to be reaped, they are still required to attend the reaping.

I say good bye to everybody except Louie, and they all reassure me by telling me that I have no chance to get picked.

Louie and I walk to my section, the area for fifteen year old girls.

"See you in a few minutes," I say.

He smiles. "And then only you'll need to worry next reaping."

"Whatever," I respond, pretending to be annoyed.

I stare at Louie until I lose sight of him when he enters the eighteen year old male section. A few minutes later, I see our escort walk onto the stage.

"Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor," Cynthia says. "Like usual, ladies first."

She reaches her hand into the bowl filled with names. There must be thousands of entries in there. I'm not good with estimations, but I'd guess there are probably about 80,000 slips of paper. Only four of those have my name on it.

"Representing district four, the female tribute will be…"

Cynthia pauses. It must only be for a few seconds, but it feels like minutes. Who has she chosen? Hopefully it's not me!

"Coralie White. Coralie, please join me on the stage!"

I fight back the tears. I can be strong! I can do this! I might not be a career, but I'm just as dangerous. And I'll have the motivation of my family whenever I need some additional support.

* * *

Xander's POV:

I wake up unsure of what I will do today. I have been training for the games, but I'm not sure if it's what I want to do.

My district says it's an honor to fight in the Hunger Games, but my family would beg to differ. I'm currently sixteen, two years older than my brother was when he was reaped. Although he didn't volunteer, he was strong and managed to win.

Even though he's my older brother and I love him, I'm jealous of his fame and glory. He's the most famous person in all of Panem. That's right. My brother is the infamous Finnick Odair.

He forbids me to volunteer. Every night he wakes up with nightmares. He doesn't want me to suffer like he does.

But I want to win. I don't want to be the younger brother of Finnick that was too cowardly to volunteer for the games. I want to be the younger brother that matched the feat of his older brother.

I guess I still haven't made up my mind yet. As I love Finnick more than anything else, I do want to take his advice into consideration. Maybe I should just wait this year out. I'll still have the next two years to decide if I want to volunteer.

I go to the kitchen to get something to eat. Finnick's there, along with my parents and Annie, his girlfriend.

"Hey Xander," he says as he ruffles my hair. "I know a lot is going through your mind today. If you do volunteer, I won't be mad at you. I just don't want you to suffer like I do."

"Thanks," I respond. "I just want to be famous too."

"I know you do. But it isn't even guaranteed that you'll make it out of the arena. I know that you're talented, and you'll get lots of sponsors because I'm your brother, but you have no idea what's going to be thrown at you in the arena."

"I'm still not sure what I'm going to do."

"That's fine," he says with a smile. "But if you're not sure, you can always wait for next year."

After that conversation, Annie starts having a mental breakdown. They occur pretty frequently, as she has gotten way more of the victor side-effects than my brother did.

Finnick doesn't use her as an example, though, since he doesn't want to make her suffer any more than she already does.

My parents say it's time to go, so we start walking to the square.

Before we leave Victor's Village, I see Mags and I say hello to her. She smiles back and mutters something that I can't understand. Apparently Finnick can understand her, but I don't have the faintest idea.

When we arrive at the square, I check in, by getting my arm pricked, and walk to the sixteen year old boys section. I see Cynthia, our district's escort, having a conversation with Finnick. I think she was the escort when he participated, so I guess they're friends.

Finally, Cynthia walks onto the stage. "Happy Hunger Games," she says. "And may the odds be ever in your favor!"

She continues, "like usual, ladies first," as she walks over to the bowl of female names. As she picks the name out, I still don't know if I want to volunteer or not, but I need to make up my mind soon.

"Representing district four, the female tribute will be… Coralie White!"

I see a girl come out of the fifteen year old section. She doesn't seem to have trained for the games, but she looks pretty strong. I think she'll do well.

"And now for the males," Cynthia says. "Our male tribute is… Donald Harper!"

I see a little boy come from the back of the town square. He's only twelve or thirteen and he doesn't stand a chance. He'll probably be by the first day.

And I've finally made my decision.

"I volunteer as tribute," I shout as I walk towards the stage. "How lovely, a volunteer," Cynthia says. "You must be Xander Odair. I had the pleasure of escorting your brother a few years ago."

I see Donald, looking very relieved, and I know that I have done the right thing. Even if I don't survive, at least I have saved the life of one innocent child.


	5. District 5 Reaping

**AN: Reviews would be much appreciated! Again, thanks for reading**

* * *

Elysia's POV:

I didn't sleep at all last night. Nightmares plagued me. Each one having a different member of my family reaped for the games.

In the most recent one, somehow all 6 of my siblings and I were all reaped and we had to kill each other. I woke up with my heart racing.

If one of us were to be reaped, we wouldn't stand a chance. We are probably the poorest family in district five. My father is dead, and my mother tries to support us, but she just isn't able to.

I've taken a lot of tesserae, so none of us have starved to death. But it doesn't keep our bellies full, as we are all very skinny and malnourished.

In addition, I am eighteen years old, so I automatically have seven entries. With all of the tesserae I've taken, I have seventy three entries in the reaping bowl. That's probably more than anybody else in the district.

There's a good chance that I will be reaped today. Although I'm eighteen and experienced, I know that I won't be able to survive. I'm short and skinny.

I can run fast, but I have no skills with weapons. My only other advantage is that I won't starve to death as fast as the other kids. But if the careers are strong, they will kill me eventually.

I see that my younger siblings are all sleeping on the floor, so I try not to wake them up as I leave our bedroom.

I walk into the kitchen and see my mom there. We probably won't have breakfast today, but I think she has a decent dinner prepared for tonight. It won't be much, but its something.

"Hi," I say as she turns around to look at me.

"Good morning," she replies. "I hope you and your brothers and sisters will all be safe today."

"Let's hope so. But the odds aren't in our favor. I have over seventy entries."

"I know and I thank you for helping me feed the kids. I just wish that it didn't come with the extra entries."

"Me too," I say. "But you know as well as I do that everything comes with a price."

As I say that, I see my brother Pablo walk into the room. He is thirteen, so this is his second reaping. He looks nervous, but he doesn't have many entries.

"How's it going," I ask him.

"Okay," he says.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Kind of." I guess he's not in a very talkative mood today.

Over the next two hours, my other siblings make their way into the kitchen. They all seem a little nervous, but they are trying their best to stay strong. I respect them for that, as I'm already nervous enough as it is. I don't know if I can handle the nerves of my five siblings.

My mom decides that now is a good time to get started, as it will take us about forty five minutes to reach the town square. Since we cannot afford a nice house, we live on the outskirts of the district.

As we walk, I take turns talking with each of my siblings, just in case that I get reaped. It would be awful to leave without saying a heartfelt goodbye.

We finally make it to the square, a few minutes before the reaping starts. My youngest sister, Candice, is only ten, so she'll wait with my mom. I take the rest of my siblings into the holding area.

The five of us walk towards the front of the square and I drop them off at their respective sections. I walk alone as I reach the section for eighteen year old girls. I know some of the poor girls will have a high chance of being reaped, but I doubt that any of them have as many entries as I do.

I notice our escort walk across the stage. "Hello and happy Hunger Games," Geoff says. "Are you all ready for the reaping?"

I hear a few murmurs from the crowd, which I take as no's, but Geoff is unfazed.

"I'll take that as a yes. I will select the female tribute first."

Please don't choose me! Don't select one of those seventy three pieces of paper that have my name written on it.

"Our female tribute will be Elysia Jackson. Elysia, please join me on stage!"

I knew I had a high chance of being reaped, but I can't handle the shock. I let out a shriek and try to run away from the peacekeepers. Eventually they catch me and I am dragged onto the stage, crying.

* * *

Leopold's POV:

I wake up, shivering due to the extreme coldness. It's usually warmer during this time of year, but the sun hasn't come up yet.

I look outside and see some birds. People tell me that chirping of the birds is a beautiful, but I've never heard what they actually sound like. That's because I'm deaf.

Being deaf has been a struggle my entire life. It's hard to play with the other kids because I can't easily communicate with them. It became a little easier once we learned how to read and write in school.

Now, all of my communications are done on paper. We aren't very wealthy, but my parents make sure to buy lots of paper each month. I talk with them through writing. It's not easy, but it's better than nothing.

I see my parents sleeping in the other bed in the room. I decide to try to go back to sleep, but I am unsuccessful. I cannot stop focusing on today's looming event: the reaping.

If I'm reaped, my chances of survival are slim. I'm somewhat strong, so I should be able to defend myself, but my lack of hearing will be a big problem. It will be so easy for somebody to kill me in my sleep. My best chance would be to find an ally, so we can sleep at different times.

I stare out the window and watch the sun rise. Eventually, my parents wake up. They both smile at me, but then go on to have a conversation. I can see their lips moving, but I have no idea what they are actually saying.

We go downstairs and have some cereal for breakfast. My mom takes out a piece of paper and writes 'how are you doing?'

I reply, 'okay. I'm a little worried about the reaping, but I should be fine.'

I only have twelve entries, so I have a very slim chance of being chosen. I'm sure that some of the poorer people from our district have forty or fifty entries at least.

'That's good to hear,' my mom writes back.

If I do get reaped, communication will be a big issue. I will have a difficult time talking with my mentor and I won't be able to have a normal interview with Caesar. Although some capitol citizens might pity me, others might just see me as week and write me off. I guess it could go either way.

I notice that my parents are having another conversation. It's frustrating when they are talking about something and I can't understand them, but I've gotten used to it over the years.

My dad picks up the pen and writes, 'remember that we love you, no matter what happens. We hope that you won't get reaped, but it will be okay if you do. You are strong and have a chance at returning home.'

'Thanks,' I write back. I don't really know what else to say.

My parents decide to start walking to the square, so I choose to walk with them. When we arrive, I give them a hug and we give each other our goodbyes.

I walk into my section and wait. After about fifteen minutes, I see Geoff, our escort, walk onto the stage. He says something that I don't understand and then proceeds to walk over to the bowl filled with girls' names.

The girl who gets reaped is small, but eighteen years old. She tries to run away, so the peacekeepers need to carry her onto the stage. She is very skinny and I don't think she has a chance of surviving. But who knows. She might surprise us all.

Geoff then picks a name out of the other bowl and reads it. I wonder who the unlucky person is. I then notice that some people have turned around. They are all staring at me!

And I finally realize that I have been reaped for the games. Nerves flood my body, as I hope that I'll be able to make it out alive.


	6. District 6 Reaping

**AN: I would really appreciate it if anybody took the time to review my story. Thanks for reading!**

* * *

Amaris' POV:

I wake up to the smell of eggs wafting into my room. I love eggs, but most families in district six cannot afford them. As one of the wealthiest families in our district, we can pretty much get anything we want.

Despite being rich, I haven't trained very much for the games. Why should I? My parents realize that participating in the games is not the honor that the Capitol makes it out to be. And, because we are so rich, I will have the bare minimum of entries.

However, just in the small chance that I do get reaped, I have trained a little bit. My parents own a dart board, so I have very good aim. I'm sure that the knives in the arena are very similar to the darts we have.

Killing, on the other hand, might be a problem. I can't imagine the feeling of killing somebody. Most people say that it's horrific, but I know that not everybody would agree.

Every year, I see the career tributes smile as they many poor, innocent children. They seem to take pleasure in ending the lives of others.

But I don't need to worry about that. I only have seven entries in the reaping. I'm sure that there are some twelve year olds who have more entries than I do. There's no chance that I'll get chosen.

I get dressed and head downstairs to the kitchen. My parents are there, eating the eggs that I could smell from my room.

"Good morning Amaris," my mom says. "Do you want some breakfast?"

"Yes please," I reply.

My mom makes me an egg and it is delicious. Maybe it's just because I seem especially hungry this morning. I don't understand how the poor residents of our district go days without meals.

"These are great," I tell my mom.

"I'm glad you like them," she responds. "We got them from Arnold's."  
Arnold's isn't an actual store. It's our codename for the black market. We shop there often, but technically it is illegal. We don't want one of our neighbors to overhear us and report us to the peacekeepers. My parents would get a whipping, which definitely isn't an enjoyable experience.

I finish my breakfast and head upstairs. I begin to feel a little worried about the reaping, as I have seven entries this year, so I decide to play a few rounds of darts. It accomplishes two goals: improving my aim and getting my mind off of the reaping.

It is successful and I am shocked to realize that I have been throwing darts for two hours. I get ready to go and I start walking towards town square.

On the way there, I see my friend Celia.

"Hi Celia," I say.

"Oh, hi. How's it going?"

"Pretty good. I'm not too worried about today."

"That's nice," she says. "I have almost thirty entries, so I guess that I have a better chance of being selected than you do."

"I guess, but there are so many people in this district. There's no way that you'll be chosen."

"I try to keep my hopes up, but there's a possibility that I will get reaped. If I do, I just need to suck it up and try my hardest. I might not last, but I'll give it all I've got."

"That's a good attitude," I say in response. And that's the truth. She won't give up.

"Good luck," she says.

"You too. See you tomorrow."

I walk the rest of the way alone. When I arrive, it's only five minutes before the reaping starts. I wanted to get here a little earlier, but I guess I spent too much time playing darts.

Five minutes later, right on cue, Zamora walks onto the stage. Her skin is dyed green and she has on a maroon wig. It's not the best combination, but who am I to comment on the Capitol's sense of fashion.

"Happy Hunger Games," she says. "And may the odds be ever in your favor. Let's start with the men. Just kidding! That would be breaking tradition."

I wish she would just get on with it already. I just want to go back home. Zamora finally reaches into the bowl and chooses a name.

"District six's female will be Amaris Nelson!"

It's me. I only had seven entries and she chose one of mine. Hopefully my dart skills will help, as it's the only weapon I know how to use.

* * *

Gregor's POV:

I'm not going to lie. I'm nervous about today's reaping. I really don't want to be chosen.

I'm thirteen years old, and I have ten entries. Ten isn't that many, but I'm afraid of what will happen if I do get reaped.

I'm small, young, and inexperienced, traits that are not commonly found in victors. However, I do know how to survive.

Due to my small size, I have been bullied in school by the older and stronger kids. They think I'm wimpy, and I guess they're right. I don't think what they do is okay, but nobody stops them from doing it and I'm too weak to fight back.

I've been punched and kicked a few times, but I've always been able to get up and keep going. I've never let the bullies stop me from doing what I want.

In a way, the Hunger Games are like what I go through on a daily basis. Obviously I don't get killed, but there are similar dynamics. There are the careers who like to torture their victims. There are also the little kids who get picked on. And there are the few outcasts who are too strong to be tormented by the bullies.

I've gotten back up after being punched, but you can't get up once your throat's been slit and your cannon booms. If I get reaped, I'd need to rely on my speed.

The bed next to me is empty, so I guess my little sister is already up. She's only ten, so she doesn't need to worry about the reaping today. She'll be sad if I get reaped, but she'll definitely still be alive in a few weeks time. I wish that I could say the same.

"Good morning," I say as I walk into the kitchen. I see my parents and sister eating cereal, which we wouldn't be able to afford if I didn't take tesserae. The extra entries make me more nervous, but I can't let my family starve. It wasn't really a choice.

"Good morning," my dad says. "I guess you slept well."

"Yeah, I did."

"We'll all be able to sleep easier tonight," my mom adds.

I hope that she's right because I'll be heading to the Capitol if she isn't.

"Once you eat some cereal, we should get going," my dad says. "The reaping will start in about an hour."

As we're walking, I see Rolly, one of the kids that bullies me at school. He gives me an evil glance, which probably means that I'm going to get an awful surprise in the coming days. I guess he's too afraid to do anything when all the adults are watching. Coward.

We finally reach the square and I say my last goodbyes to my parents, just in case that I do get reaped. I also say goodbye to my sister, who seems to be in a bad mood. Although she's not eligible to be reaped, I guess it's a stressful situation for her too.

I walk into the section for thirteen year old boys and wait for the reaping ceremony to begin. A few minutes later, our escort, Zamora, walks onto the stage.

Blah, blah, blah. She says the same thing every year. After taking about five minutes to select one, she finally chooses a name out of the girls' bowl.

"District six's female will be Amaris Nelson," Zamora says.

As Amaris walks onto the stage, I recognize her as the obnoxious girl who is super wealthy. Her boyfriend has bullied me quite a few times, so I'm automatically disposed to not like her.

Zamora finally continues with the reaping. "It's now time to choose a male tribute from district six. It will be… Gregor Robinson!"

That's me! Am I the only Gregor Robinson in the district? Maybe she chose that one instead.

But the crowd parts and the peacekeepers come to pick me up. As I make it onto the stage, I hope that I will be able to overcome the odds and return home.


End file.
